When to use "récupérer"?

EldraB1Kwiziq community member

When to use "récupérer"?

Je vais d'abord passer chez le poissonnier pour récupérer les huîtres.

Is récupérer interchangeable with acheter? Can I use récupérer for clothes shopping? 

e.g. Je vais récupérer une robe

Asked 3 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Eldra, 

Just to add to the interesting answers you would use 'récupérer' for a garment for instance if you were talking of a dry-cleaner -

Je vais récupérer ma robe/mon costume chez le teinturier = I am going to pick up my dress/suit from the dry-cleaner's 

You would even say -

Je vais récupérer les enfants à l'école I'll go and pick up the children from school

Hope this helps!

MaartenC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

«Récupérer», 'to recover/get back/collect/retrieve' etc - and therefore usually indicates taking or regaining possession of something that is 'yours'; it is not synonymous with «acheter», which is 'to buy'.

TomC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

She has ordered the oysters in advance and is just going to "pick them up".

When to use "récupérer"?

Je vais d'abord passer chez le poissonnier pour récupérer les huîtres.

Is récupérer interchangeable with acheter? Can I use récupérer for clothes shopping? 

e.g. Je vais récupérer une robe

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